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Arroz Con Pollo travelog |
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My travelog on the famous Spanish peasant dish Arroz con Pollo
Pronunciation ah-rohth' kohn poh'-yoh
Travelog
Paella a la Valenciana, as the world knows it, is seldom eaten by Valencian peasants. Chefs in fancy restaurants from New York to Madrid too often make the dish ridiculously complex by incorporating into it everything in their larder: chicken, fish, lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, what have you. While these big production numbers may dazzle the eye, they tend to overwhelm the palate.
The peasants, in contrast to their big city cousins, prefer to use one or at most two meats in this Valencian specialty. Along the region's balmy Mediterranean coast, the star ingredient is most apt to be shellfish, perhaps mussels or shrimp. Inland, when the littoral plain gives way to foothills and mountains, the cook's first choice is generally chicken and, if this be the case, the dish is usually called arroz con pollo ("rice with chicken") rather than paella. A well-made, peasant-style arroz con pollo is infinitely superior to the run-of-the-mill restaurant style paella a la Valenciana and is just as delicious as a great one. It's also quicker, easier, and less expensive to prepare.
Rice - the foundation of any paella or arroz con pollo - is a major crop in Valencia. This cereal grain was introduced to the Spanish Mediterranean coast two thousand years ago by Middle Eastern traders. These seafarers also brought with them what would turn out to be Valencia's most famous product, the orange. "On nights when orange blossoms open, the countryside is filled with a heady fragrance," the daughter of a Valencian farmer told me. "It's the aphrodisiac of Valencia."
Arroz con pollo
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I hope you find my Arroz con pollo travelog page helpful ©2008 HQP / Hillman Quality Publications
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Arroz
con pollo
